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Political and defence Europe (by Nicolas Gros-Verheyde)

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[Editorial] The Americans are pressing on the mushroom of the crisis

(BRUSSELS2) In the noble fight between freedom on one side, the Euromaidan, and the obscure pro-Russians on the other side, there should be an easy choice in favor of the former versus the latter. However, if Russia's game seems quite clear - neutralize Ukraine to prevent it from tipping too far towards the West - that of the United States has been relatively little commented on. There will undoubtedly be a before-Ukraine or a post-Ukraine. Although it is still too early to trace all the changes due to the Ukrainian-Russian crisis, it seems a certain fact. Stuck between the USA and Russia, NATO and Ukraine, tossed around according to everyone's declarations, Europe has lost its first battle.

NATO finds a new virginity…

We see the Americans – as well as the NATO leadership – thus pressing on the mushroom of the crisis, not playing de-escalation but rather escalation, with an objective which seems more the defense of certain interests than that of the defense of Ukraine or Europe. NATO thus regains its virginity and its first virtue: ensuring security in Europe, being the bulwark against Russia (Ussr yesterday). It finds in the Ukrainian crisis the opportunity to demonstrate its usefulness, to justify an immediate increase in defense budgets, which have suffered in recent times.

Americans new markets

Buying quickly requires buying off the shelf, so generally... from Americans who thus find, at lower costs, a political export bonus without difficulty. All past declarations on the need for burden sharing, for Europeans to take charge of their own defense (an American antiphon, partly justified) have been written off, according to a new adage: the Europeans pay, the Americans provide.

A Europe reduced to the position of the fetus

La gravité de la crise n’est plus à démontrer. Et la nécessité de montrer les muscles peut être sans doute nécessaire. Mais de là à utiliser cette crise pour justifier une politique dans une posture de « pure propagande » de la meilleure époque (type Irak 2003), il y a un pas que n’hésitent pourtant à franchir A.F Rasmussen comme le général Breedlove, le commandant suprême de l’OTAN, qui est aussi le commandant des forces US en Europe. Leurs déclarations  se succèdent, on ne peut plus martiales. Les chiffres valsent. Ils semblent tellement peu crédibles que les déclarations, même fallacieuses de Moscou, ne paraissent pas plus fausses. Qu’importe… Au milieu, silencieuse, l’Europe, est ramenée dans une position mineure, infantilisante. Elle sera la première victime politique de ce conflit…

(Nicolas Gros-Verheyde)

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Nicolas Gros Verheyde

Chief editor of the B2 site. Graduated in European law from the University of Paris I Pantheon Sorbonne and listener to the 65th session of the IHEDN (Institut des Hautes Etudes de la Défense Nationale. Journalist since 1989, founded B2 - Bruxelles2 in 2008. EU/NATO correspondent in Brussels for Sud-Ouest (previously West-France and France-Soir).